Elliptical Galaxy Messier 49 in Virgo
Taken by Tom Wildoner on April 11, 2026 @
Weatherly, PA, USA
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Camera Used: Unavailable Unavailable
Exposure Time: Unavailable
Aperture: Unavailable
ISO: Unavailable
Date Taken: 2026:05:24 11:32:16
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Details:
Messier 49 (M49) is a colossal elliptical galaxy situated approximately 56 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. Discovered by Charles Messier in 1771, it holds the distinction of being the very first member of the massive Virgo Cluster of galaxies to be cataloged, and it stands out as one of its most luminous and gravitationally dominant residents. Unlike spiral galaxies with prominent dust lanes and sweeping arms, M49 possesses a smooth, featureless, egg-shaped profile composed of several hundred billion ancient, yellow-orange stars, signaling that its period of active star formation ended long ago. It is surrounded by a dense swarm of nearly 6,000 globular clusters and harbors a supermassive black hole at its core estimated to be roughly 565 million times the mass of our Sun.
🔠Technical Details:
Telescope: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC BIN1
Mount: EQ6R Mount
Capture: 75 x 60 seconds
Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA (Bortle 4)
Processing: DSS and PixInsight
Image Date: April 11, 2026.
Photographer's website:
https://www.thedarksideobservatory.com
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